(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
July 11, 2014 - 4:02 PM
THOMPSON OKANAGAN - With temperatures in the Thompson-Okanagan boiling over into the mid-30s in the next week, fire officials are warning the public to be especially vigilant.
The weather in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which covers Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton, is expected to remain hot and dry for the next 7-10 days, conditions which greatly increase the risk of wildfires.
Many areas in our fire zone are already listed as having an extreme fire danger rating, while the remainder are rated moderate to high.
So far this year in the region, crews have responded to 123 wildfires burning over 349 hectares.
There are currently over 295 personnel fighting wildfires in the province and 60 of them are working on 14 active fires in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
Fire authorities are asking the public to be extremely cautious this summer.
“Remember that if you see or cause a wildfire, you have an obligation to report it, take action with available resources and extinguish it if it's practicable to do so,” fire information officer Melissa Klassen said in a media release.
Current open fire prohibitions for the Kamloops Fire Centre can be viewed online.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014